Coupling.



T. J. COSTELLO.

COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29.1914.

LlQfifiQ Patented July 6, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

"UH W A fro n ey COLuMmA PLANOGRAPH co., wAsmNmToN, D. c.

T. .l. COSTELLO.

COUPLING.

APPLICATION man APR. 29. 1914.

Patented July 6, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBlA PLANDURAPH COHWASHINGTON n. c.

THOMAS J. COSTELLO, OF WARREN, OHIO.

COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Application filed April 29, 1914. Serial No. 835,241;

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THoMAs J. CosTELLo,

a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Warren, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to couplings for connecting a plurality of shafts rotating in the usual bearings and serving as the axles of rolls used in pairs for rolling metal into sheets, plates, rods, bars and the like, and arranged in series with spaces between the successive pairs of rolls when given a uniform rotation, from a single motor, extended throughout the length of said rods rigidly connected at their respective ends by said couplings; most familiarly known to those skilled in the art as in use in rolling mills.

The couplings referred to are of great size and weight; usually made of cast metal, and occasionally, because of defective material or disintegration, the great strain brought to hear at the meeting axle ends causes them to burst or break into disconnected parts which are hurled by natural forces outwardly and with disastrous results both as to destruction of property and of human life.

The objects of my invention are, first, to strengthen said couplings and, in so far as may be, to prevent the bursting thereof; and, second, to provide means for retaining the broken parts in confinement and prevent their being thrown outwardly when a coupling does break into parts.

With those and other objects in view my invention consists in the novel details of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which like numerals designate like parts in all the views Figure 1 is an elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Figs. 3 and l show a similar elevation and plan of a modification. Fig. 5 is a conventional view of a pair of rolls in perspective, with my invention shown on the coupling connecting the shaft of the lower roll with that of an adjacent roll which latter shaft is broken away.

In the drawings a lower roll 1 parallel to an upper roll 2, between which the article to be rolled is passed, are shown supported in the usual way in housings through uprights 3 and 4:. The roll 1 rotates about a shaft not shown, but similar to the shaft 6 of the adjacent roll with which it is connected by the coupling, 7, which is of the form in universal use and consists of a metal ring 9 tightly surrounding the meeting ends of the connected shafts which are positioned in a right line and have flutings, 8, on the circumferences of their meeting ends, into which protuberances 10 on the inner surface of the ring9 mesh and form a lock, the whole making a coupling. I

I prepare one or more retaining bands, B. B, byrolling a strip, preferably of wrought metal, through a pair of corrugating rolls to form lateral corrugations therein, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 5; on longitudinal corrugations as shown on the modification illustrated in Figs.'3 and 4. After corrugation said strip is annularly bent about a mandrel the size of the ring 9, and its ends are welded together, thus providing means for strengthening the inclosed coupling and, in the event of the bursting and consequent expansion of said coupling, the pressure outwardly of the separated portions of the broken coupling ring 9 on the interior surface of the corrugated band B, if great, will unmake the corrugations and convert the corrugated band B into a fiat annular covering which will retain the loose parts and check their flight.

The construction shown as my invention has the decided advantage over the use of a covering band larger than the periphery of the coupling, in that broken pieces striking such a band could drive through it or tear it asunder, whereas my invention afiords not only a retaining covering but exerts a powerful counteracting pressure against the outward movements of the flying parts, limited only by its conversion into a circular, uncorrugated band; and also serves to strengthen the coupling in the first instance and decrease the liability of disintegration thereof.

In practice one or a plurality of corrugated bands B can be used on each coupling as the size of the latter requires. I prefer to form annular enlargements a, a, at the ends of the coupling 7 and, where more than one of my corrugated bands B, B, are used, to form an annular enlargement C on the periphery of the coupling and between the successive corrugated bands,in order to. more surely retain them in position.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I haveshown the bands D, D as having been corrugated longitudinally of the original strip of metal thus forming radial corrugations. The operation', the ofiice and the function of the modification would be the same as those of the preferred form shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Icla im-r 1-. A coupling adapted to be subjected to disruptive" strains comprising a ring and a corrugated band encircling the same and in close contact therewith, substantially as described;

2. In a device" of the character described the combination of a pair of sh'afts'provided with meeting ends; a ring inclosing said ends; and a corrugated band under tension surrounding said ringi; substantially as de-, scribed.

3. In a device of the character described the combination of a pair of'shaftsprovided with fluted ends; a ring havingprotuberances to engage the flutings on and inclosing said ends; and a corrugated band under tension surrounding said ring, substantially as described. a

l. Ina device of the character described the combination of a pair of shafts having opposing. ends provided with flutings; a ring inclosing said ends provided with internal projections engaging said fiutings; and a plurality of corrugated bands in close contact with said ring, substantially as described.

5; In a device of the character described the combination of a pair of shafts having opposing ends provided with flutings; a ring having a central enlargement inclosing said ends and provided with internal projections engaging said fiutings; and a plurality of corrugated bands in close contact with said ring, substantially as described.

6. In a coupling adapted to be subjected to disruptive strains the combination of a ring having an enlargement at eachend and a central enlargement; and a corrugated band closely contacting with said ring on each sideof said central enlargement;- substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my in presence of two Witnesses.

I THOMAS J. COSTELLO Witnesses PEGGY BETi-IUNE, J. F. I-IAYES'.

signature Copies ofthispacent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. G. 

